


Anonymous Love

by emi_chan6



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, AtsuHina, F/M, Haikyuu - Freeform, Haikyuu Timeskip, HiruHoshi, KageHina - Freeform, Loneliness, M/M, Online Dating, Pining, Roommates, TsukiKage, oikage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:07:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27075460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emi_chan6/pseuds/emi_chan6
Summary: Kageyama Tobio is lonely. It's been years since his break up with Hinata, and he still hasn't connected with anyone the same way, despite many attempts. His loneliness is confounded by the fact that everyone around him seems to be happy and settling down. He thought playing in Japan would make him less lonely, but instead he just feels a gnawing ache inside him. His loneliness eats at him until he accepts the invitation to a volleyball group chat. He finally starts connecting with someone in a way he's never connected before, even with Hinata. Kageyama begins to wonder if it could really be possible have feelings for someone who you've only conversed with anonymously, or more seriously, to fall in love with them.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu, Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio/Tsukishima Kei, Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 149





	1. Spin the Bottle

Kageyama Tobio walked in clouded silence, the thick black night enveloping him like a blanket. He was in no rush to get home, content with the quiet after what can only be described as a trainwreck of an evening. He fumbled down familiar streets, exhausted, with a stampede charging through his head. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even realize he had arrived home until he was fumbling for his keys in his pocket. As his uncoordinated fingers betrayed him, dropping his keys on the ground, he let out a sigh that felt like it had been trapped in his chest all night. He finally opened the door and quietly removed his shoes, not wanting to wake his roommate up. Kageyama went to the kitchen, using his phone a a flashlight as he poured himself a tall glass of water, chuckling to himself as he struggled to carry his phone, the water, and some leftover ramen to the living room. He put his food down on the coffee table and flopped face first on the coach, groaning into the cushions. 

"Your date was that bad?" A groggy voice sounded from the couch opposite. 

Kageyama flipped over suddenly and sat up, straining his eyes in the darkness to see the white hair and bird-eyes of his roommate, Hoshiumi Korai, peeking over the armmest of the couch across from him. "Geez. I thought you'd be asleep." Kageyama sighed and rubbed his eyes, turning on the lamp beside the couch. 

"I actually just got home myself." A smirk crossed Hoshiumi's lips. 

"Too much information." Kageyama rolled his eyes. 

"I- I didn't even say anything!" 

"Your stupid smirk gave you away. Hirugami again?" Kageyama raised his eyebrows. 

Hoshiumi nodded and licked his lips. "And let me tell you, it was our third date, if you know what I mean." 

"Ew. I do, I do! Don't say anything else." 

"You're just jealous." 

"Of Hirugami? No." Kageyama scrunched his nose and shook his head. 

"Not of him, but of my dating life." Hoshiumi smiled for a moment as his brain scrolled through the events of his evening. "Anyways, you didn't answer my question." Hoshiumu got up off of the couch and sat on the ground leaning against the couch Kageyama was sitting on. He looked up at him expectantly, waiting. 

Kageyama sighed. "Yes, it was that bad." 

Hoshiumi laughed. Well, he more cackled. His laugh grated on Kageyama's ears and made his head throb even more. "How? How do you keep having these disastrous dates?" 

"If I figure it out, I'll tell you." 

"Just let me set you up." Hoshiumi said. It was a topic that came up often, and was always shot down immediately. Like always, Kageyama reacted the same way. He leaned forward and gently punched his roommate on the shoulder, resulting in a shudder from Hoshiumi.

"We know all of the same people." Kageyama said. 

Hoshiumi nodded and groaned. "You're basically right. But something's gotta give. You can't keep pining over that ginger wannabe me forever." 

Kageyama would have laughed at Hoshiumi's relatively accurate description of Hinata if it weren't for how much it still pained him to think about his ex. Kageyama let out a deep, shaky groan and flopped onto the couch again. He only stopped groaning when he ran out of air, taking a huge breath in afterwards. 

He felt a pat on his back and peered out from under the pillow, looking up at Hoshiumi. "Alright, well, I'm going to hit the hay. Do NOT wake me up tomorrow." 

"Uh huh. Night." Kageyama mumbled and buried his face in the couch again. 

"Goodnight, Tobes." 

Kageyama rolled his eyes at the nickname given to him by Hoshiumi. For the flash of a second, he was distracted from his nagging thoughts of Hinata. He thought back to their first date. Although they had pined for each other in their own ways during high school, it wasn't until they graduated that either one had the courage to act on it. His mind spun in a whirlwind time machine as he thought back to the party that started it all. 

It had been a few weeks into summer vacation after their graduation and Kageyama hadn't seen anyone from Karasuno. He spent his free time working out and taking care of his newborn nephew. It wasn't until Yachi called him that he really even thought about seeing his friends from school. After years of cruel and unusual torture in the form of being forced to see the person he loved but who didn't love him back, Kageyama wasn't eager to continue seeing his high school mates. Still, Yachi was pretty convincing when she put her mind to it, and it was because of her coaxing that he ended up at a party surrounded with friends he had made through his high school volleyball career. He didn't admit it at the time, but looking back, he was able to admit that the party was fun. 

As Sugawara slung an arm around his shoulders and slurred in his ear that they were going to play spin the bottle, Kageyama groaned and took another sip of his drink, shaking his head vehemently. 

"No way, absolutely not." He protested and tried to get away from his former Senpai's grasp. But as he walked away, Tanaka appeared on the other side of him, a sideways grin plastered on his face. The two older boys steered him towards a circle and pushed him down on the ground, each taking their seats on either side of him. "So, what're the rules?" He whispered and Tanaka just turned his head to the centre, telling him to wait, assuring him that after the first turn he would understand the game perfectly. It was then that he looked up and across the circle locked eyes with Hinata. It had been weeks since they had seen each other, let alone talk, and Kageyama didn't know how to breach the awkward silence that had grown between them. Hinata offered a bright smile that made Kageyama's stomach flip and he quickly looked away, staring instead at the bottle spinning in the centre of the circle. It was spun by Tanaka and, conveniently, landed on Kiyoko. 

"That's no fair, you two are already dating!" Noya whined, clearly disappointed in the first result of the game. 

Tanaka shrugged and stood up, grabbing Kiyoko's hand and pulling her up with him. "It's perfect, but sorry to everyone if 7 minutes in heaven turns into an hour." He joked and winced when Kiyoko whacked him in the chest to shut him up. 

Kageyama watched as Tanaka led Kiyoko to a closet, they walked in, and the door shut behind them. His eyes widened and he turned to Suga, "You mean? I would have to...?"

Suga nodded and laughed, pulling Kageyama down when he tried to stand up to get out of the game. "Hey, it's your own fault you didn't know what spin the bottle was." 

Kageyama groaned and just sat, staring at his hands in his lap, until Tanaka and Kiyoko came back. Tanaka had a big grin plastered on his face and Kiyoko showed the slightest blush on her cheeks. Soon, it was his turn to spin the bottle. He reached into the centre of the circle and watched the bottle pivot furiously until it eventually slowed and finally stopped. His eyes followed the neck of the bottle to where it was pointing. Straight at Hinata. He groaned and remained glued to the floor. 

"Well? What're you idiots waiting for?" Suga jabbed Kageyama in the ribs, shocking him out of his daze. 

"Tch." Kageyama rolled his eyes and stood up slower than an 80-year-old just waking from a coma. He walked to the closet without waiting for Hinata to follow him, secretly hoping that he wouldn't. But before he knew it, the closet door shut. He jumped a bit and turned to see Hinata's familiar face staring up at him. 

It was a face he knew well. He had memorized every contour of his nose, the way the colours of his iris transitioned from gold to a rich cocoa colour as they neared his pupil. He knew the shape of his lips as though he had looked at them for his whole life. They were lips he had stared at many times, mostly while ignoring the insults coming from them. He blinked as he looked into this familiar face, feeling his own flush. 

"Stupid game." Kageyama grumbled, finally breaking away from Hinata's magnetic gaze. 

Hinata chuckled and shrugged. "Don't worry, we don't have to kiss. We can just pretend we did." 

Kageyama gulped, trying to keep the butterflies that were fluttering in his stomach locked in their cage. "But..."

"But?" Hinata raised his eyebrows. 

Kageyama's next words came out barely louder than a whisper. "But what if I want to?" He looked down, not making eye contact with Hinata. 

"Then do it, coward." Hinata said and gently took Kageyama's face in his hands, leaning up so their faces were nearly touching. 

Kageyama let out a shaky breath and, before he could talk himself out of it, pressed his lips against Hinata's. Hinata answered the kiss, opening his mouth to allow for Kageyama's tongue to slide between his lips and glide against his own. Kageyama felt his cheeks turn red hot and he instinctively wrapped a hand around Hinata's waist, pulling him close so their bodies pressed against each other. 

When they finally pulled away, Hinata looked at him, his golden eyes searching Kageyama's blue ones. "Wow..." He whispered. 

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that..." Kageyama muttered, pressing his forehead against Hinata's. 

"So why didn't you?" 

Kageyama froze as he thought about his response. "I didn't know you'd like it." 

"You're a real idiot, you know that?" Hinata laughed and reached up to kiss him again. 

After that, they were in the closet for so long that Suga came to check on them, prying apart the closet doors only to find them still liplocked, kisses more passionate, desperate, as if they'd been starving and only each other's lips could quell the hunger. No one at the party was surprised when they walked back to the circle hand-in-hand. 

From then on, they were inseparable. Kageyama was sure that in Hinata, he had found the missing piece his heart had been searching for, his guiding light. And for a while, that's how it seemed. But everything changed when Hinata started playing volleyball for MSBY. Though they weren't that far apart geographically, it seemed like they were worlds away. The more Hinata withdrew, the more Kageyama tried to cling to what they had. He put up with being left on read, missed phone dates, and even Hinata missing his birthday. Hinata said he would make it work, he had promised they would be fine. But when Kageyama went to Hinata's for what he thought was a date, and Miya Atsumu, his former rival, was there, cooking dinner in Hinata's kitchen, he felt his world crumbling around him. As he watched the two of them laugh and communicate in a series of inside jokes, he realized how much of a fool he had been. He sat through the most humiliating dinner of his life, waiting on pins and needles for Atsumu to leave once they finished eating. He did, but not before fully revealing his feelings for Hinata. 

It wasn't overt, the way Atsumu demonstrated his love. It was in subtle actions. The way he touched Hinata's hand as he handed him a dish to be loaded in the dishwasher, how he neatly packaged the leftovers in containers for Hinata's lunches, and how his lips brushed against Hinata's cheek as he hugged him on his way out of the house. Kageyama had watched, taken it all in, and then, as soon as Atsumu was gone, confronted his boyfriend. 

"You are in love with him." He stated plainly. 

Hinata turned red and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "With Atsumu? No! We are just friends. Not even friends, we're teammates." He scrambled to try and convince Kageyama, who just watched him, his chest aching like there was an elephant sitting on it. 

Kageyama thought about the way that Atsumu had moved so freely around Hinata's kitchen, knowing the exact placement of everything, the way he had salted Hinata's food and waited expectantly for him to taste it before relaxing and smiling to himself. "You might not be lying to me, but you're lying to yourself." Kageyama said. "He loves you too." He added and his heart shattered into a million pieces when he saw Hinata's face light up, as if it had been all he had ever wanted to hear. 

"Tobio..." Hinata whispered, tears filled his eyes. He couldn't even deny it. 

Kageyama just nodded in understanding as he began gathering his things and heading to the door. "I hope he makes you happy, Sho." He whispered as he slipped his shoes on and reached for the door. He waited for a moment, his hand hovering over the handle as he hoped Hinata would beg him to stay. But he didn't, and Tobio slipped into the night, tears streaming down his face as he realized he had just lost the love of his life.


	2. Girlfriend

Kageyama heard his phone ring and he was abruptly snapped out of his memory. He groaned and reached into his pocket, grabbing his phone. He squinted as he looked at the screen, not recognizing the phone number. He glared as he read the message. 

_You up?_

Kageyama stared at his phone with a furrowed brow, his heart racing automatically for a few moments. 

_Who is this?_

_You don't even recognize your senpai's phone number?_

_Uh.. I have Suga's number saved._

_Tobio-Chan, I'm offended._

_Oikawa._

_YEP!!!! I'm in town, what's up?_

Kageyama stared at his phone, blinking again and again. He clutched it in a fist and stormed into Hoshiumi's room, not even paying mind to the fact that his roommate had been sleeping like a hibernating bear before he burst through the door. He sat on the edge of Hoshiumi's bed and shook him awake. 

"Tobes, what the fuck?" Hoshiumi sat up and yelled, his voice grainy from sleep. 

Kageyama barely noticed Hoshiumi's annoyance as he held his phone to Hoshiumi's face. "Look!" 

Hoshiumu rubbed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. It wasn't the first time Kageyama had done something rash since they had been living together. He knew what he had been getting into when he agreed to the strange proposal. Kageyama had come up to him after an Adlers game and looked at him, holding out his hand to make a deal and said, "Move in with me?". Hoshiumi had barely thought about it. All he knew at that point was that he was sick and tired of being an adult living with his parents. He accepted, shaking Kageyama's outstretched hand. While they were very different people, they worked surprisingly well as roommates. Kageyama wasn't afraid to let Korai know what he would and wouldn't stand for, and Korai knew that if he respected Tobio's neurotic rules, the other would be satisfied. Although in the beginning they had just been teammates who live together for convenience, they had become good friends. In fact, Kageyema didn't know if he had ever had a friend as good as Hoshiumi. He had been there for him through a lot, and vice versa. Still, Hoshiumi would never be used to Kageyama storming into his room. After each time, he swore he would get a lock installed. But it never happened, and he was starting to mind less and less. 

"Ugh what am I looking at?" Hoshiumi sat up. 

Kageyama rolled his eyes dramatically and waved the phone in front of Hoshiumi's eyes. "Can't you read?" 

Hoshiumi cleared his throat. "Fuck you." He glared and snatched the phone from Kageyama's hands, looking at the screen, a smirk slowly crawling onto his face. "Or... fuck Oikawa!!! What're you waiting for! Answer him!" 

Kageyama blushed and laid down in Hoshiumi's bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I hate him, why would I answer?" 

"Because you haven't had sex since Hinata broke up with you?" 

Kageyama whacked Hoshiumi with a pillow. "Since I broke up with him." He corrected him. 

Hoshiumi winced under the force of the pillow and then chuckled. "Still, that's a long time Tobes." 

Kageyama groaned, his roommate was right. "Still, what? Oikawa is going to come here and fuck me?" 

"I have ear plugs. Just invite him over." Hoshiumi said. 

After a few minutes of deliberative silence, Kageyama nodded his head and stood up. "Thanks for your advice. Go back to sleep." He said and quickly left the room, leaving Korai to wonder what his decision had been. 

Kageyama went to the bathroom and splashed water over his face. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't just anxious about the fact that it had been a while since he had last been intimate with someone. It was also the fact that Oikawa was seeking him out. Him out of everyone. Despite their rather tumultuous rivalry, Oikawa had been Kageyama's first crush. He had long forgotten what it felt like to pine over Oikawa Tooru, but a part of him still thought about Oikawa. Mostly he wondered why he hadn't been good enough, why Oikawa had picked him over anyone else to torment, and why, even after all of that, he still saw Oikawa's face late at night when he was alone and stroking his cock. 

As he stared at his phone, he felt the familiar flipping in his stomach, the stirring in his loins. He wanted to ignore the messages, he wanted to never talk to Oikawa again, but as his dick swelled in his pants, he typed his response. 

_Nothing. Come over if you're that bored._

He gulped as he sent the message, quickly throwing his phone across the room, not expecting a response. But he noticed that almost as soon as he sent the message, his phone lit up again.

 _Address?_

He bit his lip and sent Oikawa his address. Kageyama stood up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. He brushed his teeth so hard his gums were raw. Then he stared in the mirror for a moment before shaking his head and blinking, trying to erase the memory of his own reflection from his brain. Before he knew it he heard a soft knock on his front door. He pulled a hoodie over his bare chest and went to open it, trying to act casual. 

"Tobio Chaaaan!" Oikawa's voice rang loud throughout his apartment and Kageyama clasped his hand over his mouth to shut him up. 

"Shut up." 

"Okayygh." Oikawa said, his voice muffled as he talked into Kageyama's palm. 

Kageyama released his hand from Oikawa's mouth and moved his hand down his body to grab his hand and pull him further inside his house. Oikawa stopped him as they were almost at the living room. He wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close, staring into his eyes. Kageyama felt his heart race. It was a feeling it hadn't had in months, maybe even years. Through all of the dates he had been on, no one had made his heart race. 

"C'mere." Oikawa said and stared into Kageyema's eyes before tilting his chin towards him for a kiss.

Kageyama kept his lips stiff at first, but a he felt Oikawa's against his, noticed the heat of Oikawa's chest pressed against his, and felt Oikawa's strong arms holding him close, he let out a gasp of submission and kissed him back. 

"Tobio..." Oikawa whispered as their faces nearly touched. He pushed Kageyama towards the couch and gently laid him down on it. 

"What're you doing here?" Kageyama asked as they continued to kiss. He was now on his back on the couch, looking up at Oikawa, the view just as amazing as he had always imagined it to be. 

Oikawa smirked, his cheeks turning red. "You, hopefully." He said before plunging his mouth against Kageyama's. 

Kageyama kissed back hungrily, nodding. "Please..." He said breathlessly. "Fuck me..." He didn't know how he got to be so bold, but he knew that in this moment all he could think about was Oikawa moving slowly in and out of him, making him scream. 

As if on command, Oikawa moved down Kageyama's body, he stopped at his chest and peeled his shirt off slowly, looking into his eyes as he did so. Kageyama let out a stifled moan through pursed lips and raised his arms for Oikawa to remove his shirt. A hungry gasp escaped his lips as Oikawa lowered himself onto him and kissed him deeply, pressing his tongue inside his mouth. 

"Tooru..." Kageyama whispered, arching his back as he pressed into the kiss. 

Oikawa grinded his hips against Kageyama and moaned as he kissed him deeper, running his hand through Kageyama's hair. He took hold of it and pulled, causing a desperate whine to escape from Tobio's lips. 

"Tobio-Chan... I missed you..." Oikawa moaned, his lips brushing against Kageyama's as he spoke. 

Kageyama just nodded. Missed him? How was that possible? They hated each other. Although, as he thought about it, Kageyama realized that he hadn't seen Oikawa in about a year and a half. It was the longest amount of time he had gone without seeing his nuisance of a nemesis. And Kageyama had enjoyed a relative feeling of peace in his absence. The last time they had seen each other they were at a group gathering, competing over who was the better karaoke singer. The glass-shattering singing competition ended with Iwaizumi pulling Oikawa away as he tried to whack Kageyama with his microphone. Looking back, the night had been a total disaster. But not because of Oikawa and his terrible voice. As Kageyama thought about it, he remembered that Hinata hadn't talked to him the entire way home. He had pouted like a wounded puppy and just stared out the window of the car. He had seemed to get like that every time they hung out with Oikawa. And it was annoying. Kageyama understood if Hinata didn't like Oikawa, who did really? But it was frustrating when what could've been a fun evening of challenging his enemy turned into Kageyema dealing with a mopey boyfriend. He sighed audibly as he thought about it, realizing that it hadn't just been the last time he had seen Oikawa, but also one of the last times he and Hinata had gone out together, as a couple. 

Kageyama wanted to question Oikawa's comment, but instead he leaned up and pressed his lips against Oikawa's, trying hard to push his nagging memories from his mind. 

Oikawa pulled away and smirked, his eyes moving slowly down Kageyama's bare chest. He ran his hands down Tobio's skin, digging his nails into him. He stopped and moved them back up, rubbing circles around Kageyama's nipples, feeling them harden at his touch. 

"Wow, you're sensitive here, aren't you?" Oikawa purred and flicking Kageyama's nipples with his fingers. 

Kageyama rolled his eyes and bit his lip. "S-shut up." 

Oikawa chuckled and continued stimulating Kageyama's chest for a few moments before pulling away. "Don't worry, I like it. See?" He took one of Kageyama's hands and placed it against his crotch. Kageyama blushed when he felt how hard Oikawa was. His hand began to move against the bulge in Oikawa's pants as if on instinct. "Good boy." Oikawa pressed himself against Kageyama's hand as he touched him. 

Kageyama began to moan and clasped a hand over his mouth, conscious of Hoshiumi sleeping in the next room. As he moved to slip his hand beneath Oikawa's pants and take his bare cock in his hand, Oikawa suddenly pulled away, his expression changing. 

"Fuck." Oikawa said, sitting up. His face was clouded and he no longer looked like the cocky bastard Kageyama loathed so much. 

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" Kageyama said, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

Oikawa shook his head and bit his lip, but just stared at Kageyama. "No, you didn't." He paused and put his face in his hands. Kageyama sat up, pushing Oikawa off of him and looked at him with concern. "I did." 

"What?"

Oikawa sighed and picked up Kageyama's shirt, tossing it at him. "I... have a girlfriend." 

"What the fuck, Tooru?" Kageyama practically shouted. He didn't care that Hoshiumi was asleep in the other room. He scowled at Oikawa as he quickly pulled his hoodie over his head, moving away from Oikawa on the couch. 

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking." Oikawa's voice was soft, he spoke nearly under his breath. 

Kageyama just stared at him, jaw agape. "Well, do you want to know what I'm thinking?" 

Oikawa shrugged but shook his head. "Probably no-" 

He was interrupted by Kageyama, his voice filled with venom. "That you're the same narcissistic, manipulative prick you always have been. How you got anyone to date you is beyond me, so you should really be more careful about not fucking it up." 

"Tobio... I..." Oikawa was at a loss to words. He wanted to explain, wanted to tell Kageyama how he had been feeling in his relationship, in his life. But he knew that his former kouhai was too furious to listen.

"Get out." Kageyama said, standing and pointing at the door. 

Oikawa opened his mouth as if to speak again, and clamped it shut. He stood up, made an attempt at fixing his hair, and walked to the door. He turned back to look at Kageyama one last time before leaving. Kageyama leapt to the door and locked it quickly behind him before walking down the hallway and bursting through Hoshiumi's door for the second time that evening. 

This time, Hoshiumi sit up without being shaken away by Kageyama. He had barely fallen back to sleep by the time he was interrupted again. "I'm not sleeping tonight, am I?" 

Kageyama ignored him, glaring. "He has a fucking girlfriend." He said quietly. 

"Whaaaat? I thought you two were gonna get it on!" Hoshiumi frowned. 

Kageyama scoffed. "Yeah... me too..." 

Hoshiumi patted Kageyama on the back, a sleepy grin on his face. "Well, at least you still have your hand." 

"Shut up." Kageyama rolled his eyes and stood up to leave, but not before picking up a book from Hoshiumi's bookcase and chucking it in the direction of his roommate. 

Hoshiumu ducked and laughed. "Dumbass." 

Kageyama closed Hoshiumi's door behind him and finally decided to go to bed himself. No matter how many sheep he counted, sleep continued to evade him and he ended up scowling at the ceiling until light streamed through his curtains, illuminating his room. His head was spinning as he recounted the events of the night. Kageyama finally decided to get out of bed, getting ready to go for a jog to clear his head. Even running, something that usually worked like a charm to cheer him up, couldn't take away the incessant feeling as if he had been punched in the gut. Somehow, for the first time in years, Oikawa Tooru had managed to completely and utterly destroy him.


	3. @Goldeneagle20

Since Oikawa had booty called his way back into Kageyama's life, if only for a second, Tobio hadn't been able to get him off his mind. Of course he continued going on dates in the hopes that someone would pique his interest, or at the very least distract him, but it seemed as though there was no one in the entire city of Tokyo who was good enough for him. When he broke up with Hinata, he had been constantly sick. He had a pit in his stomach, barely slept, and even began to forgo some of his conditioning workouts. After weeks of moping and wallowing, he finally began to socialize with friends again. At one lunch with Kunimi, he had been complaining nonstop about losing the love of his life and the empty void he felt in his heart. Kunimi finally snapped. He recommended Kageyama try a dating app; he even showed the one he used to meet people. 

"If not anything else, you'll get to have a few good hookups." Kunimi had said in his familiar deadpan tone. 

Kageyama had begrudgingly downloaded the app. At the time, he mostly wanted to appease his friend, who was clearly sick of the breakup broken record that Kageyama was playing every time they got together. After a week or so of having the app sitting unopened on his phone, Kageyama finally decided to give it a try. Hoshiumi helped him pick the photos and managed to dissuade him from having volleyball listed as his only interest. Between the two of them, they managed to make a profile that marketed Kageyama as a real catch. As he started to use the app, he realized that Kunimi had been partially right. Kageyama did find people to hook up with. The hookups weren't exactly _good_ , however. On one occasion, Tobio found himself excusing himself to go to the restroom and then leaving the person's apartment altogether. It had seemed like the logical thing to do when he saw the wedding photo on the bedside table. And even if the sex was good at the time, he never left wanting another date. The only positive outcome of his online dating catastrophe was that it gave him something to do to pass the time. And as it turned out, time was what he needed to get over Hinata. He stopped wishing every person across the table from him was his bouncy orange haired ex, and began wishing that they were just someone who he could fall in love with. They weren't. In fact, he was beginning to believe that he would never love again. 

Weeks passed after his encounter with Oikawa, and even the team began to notice the dark cloud looming over Kageyama's already stormy head. 

"Tobio." Kageyama finished pulling his shirt over his head in the locker room before looking up to see who was speaking to him. Ushijima stood near the doorway, hands hanging at his sides, expression blank and unrevealing. 

Tobio just raised his eyebrows in response. He was in a particularly foul mood because during their practice break, he had gone on social media and the first photo he saw was one of Oikawa posing with his girlfriend on a beach in Argentina. 

"Let's go for coffee." Ushijima said. It was less of a suggestion and more of a command. 

Tobio rolled his eyes and let out a slow, shaky sigh. He knew better than to argue with Ushijima. "Fine." He grabbed his gym bag and slung it over his shoulder. "You're paying." 

A hint of a smile crept onto Ushijima's face and he just nodded. The two of them walked in silence to the nearest coffee shop. Normally, Kageyama would have at least tried to make conversation. But he was locked inside his own head, thinking about Oikawa and trying to decipher if he looked truly happy in the photo with his girlfriend. He ordered his drink automatically when they got to the coffee shop. He always got the same thing without question. Once he found something he liked, he stuck with it. 

Sitting across from Ushijima, latte steaming on the table in front of him, he finally opened his mouth. "So, whaddya want?" 

Ushijima wiped a foam moustache from his upper lip. "You need to cheer up. It's affecting your game." 

Tobio just blinked as he stared at him. Ushijima had always been blunt, but this seemed pointed. Kageyama had worked to ensure that his emotions absolutely didn't affect how he played. Every day he rewatched tapes from practices and games and he consistently saw evidence that he was improving. 

"You're wrong." He replied simply. 

Ushijima silently pulled out his phone and scrolled a bit, finally extending his hand to show Kageyama what he was looking at. It was a video from his most recent game. As he watched, his eyes widened. Ushijima had slowed the video down and Kageyama could scrutinize his every movement. He clearly saw where he slipped up and turned what could have been a perfect toss into a sloppy one. The person he gave it to ended up missing a step to reach and as a result, their spike was less precise, easily received by their opponents. As the video ended, he sat staring at the screen with his jaw agape. 

"I... I didn't realize." Tobio said after what felt like eons of silence. 

Ushijima nodded in understanding. "It's fine. Lucky for you, we were able to get that point back. But it doesn't change the fact that you're distracted." 

Kageyama couldn't even make eye contact. It felt like there was lead in his stomach. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be sorry, just be better." Ushijima said. Kageyama knew he didn't mean to sound harsh, he was just trying to be encouraging, in his own blunt way. But nevertheless, Tobio felt like a deflated tire. 

"I will." He finally looked up at Ushijima. "I swear. I'll get my head straightened." He nodded firmly. 

"I know you will. And let me know if I can help in any way." 

The crease lining Kageyama's forehead started to relax. "Thanks." 

"I don't know what's going on with you, but if you need to refocus on volleyball, instead of whatever is irritating you in your personal life, you could always join my volleyball chat group." Ushijima shrugged and sipped his drink. He raised his eyebrows when Kageyama hadn't responded. 

"What's a volleyball chat group?" Kageyama thought it sounded ridiculous. How much could people talk about volleyball? 

"It's a group where people talk about volleyball." 

Kageyama sighed and grit his teeth. "Yes, but... more information?" 

"It's an online forum that I am in. People from around the world gather and discuss volleyball. Sometimes we share tips to others who play our position, we inspire those starting out with the sport, or we just rant about our inevitable setbacks." Ushijima explained.

As he listened and processed what Ushijima was describing, Kageyama realized that it did seem like something he would enjoy. In fact, he was surprised he hadn't joined one already. 

"Oh, and it's completely anonymous. It would be pretty bad if any of the ranting would be traced to us. So we just have random usernames instead of our names." 

Kageyama scoffed. "Yeah, I know what anonymous is." He twisted his mouth to the side as he thought and eventually pulled out his phone, opening the notes app. He passed his phone across the table to Ushijima. "Sure. Give me the URL." 

Ushijima typed for a moment and then handed the phone back. "Join. The community in that chat group always helps to keep me focused and motivated. I hope it will do the same for you." Ushijima stood up to leave. "And, Tobio-kun? You should go on less dates." 

Kageyama nearly choked on his drink and his cheeks blushed a deep red at Ushijima's last words. He just nodded and watched Ushijima leave the cafe. 

Staring into the foamy remnants of his latte, Kageyama thought hard. He pulled his laptop from his bag and opened the website that Ushijima had directed him to. It wasn't long before he found himself signing up for the chat group. The last thing to do was come up with a name. He wanted something that embodied his personality, but that would give no indication of his true identity. He rubbed his temples trying to think of something. 

_**goldeneagle20:**_ I'm new here. Hello everyone. 

Kageyama took a deep breath as he sent his first message to the group. He wasn't used to putting himself out there and initiating conversations. But, like Ushijima had said, it was completely anonymous. There was no way that anyone could know who he was just from his username. Right? He started getting nervous and looked at the screen, as if waiting for someone to respond and identify him. But no one answered. He looked on the side of the chat and saw that there was no one online. Kageyama scrolled up a bit in the chat, getting a sense of what types of conversations usually went on. It was exactly like Ushijima had told him. Kageyama got excited when he spied a user talking about setting. They were complaining about a situation that Kageyama himself had experienced. If the conversation hadn't already derailed to something else, Tobio would have responded to that user. Realizing that he wasn't going to get a response anytime soon, Kageyama closed his laptop and left the cafe, his stoic face not an accurate representation of his excitement. As he walked home, he considered the prospect of being part of a community of people that seemed to eat, sleep, and breathe volleyball. The way he had continued to do until Oikawa Tooru derailed his priorities. A small smile crept onto his face and stayed there until he got home.


	4. Soul Mates

"Your apparently enthusing volleyball chat is dry as fuck, Ushi." Kageyama glared as he stretched beside Ushijima. 

Ushijima chuckled, not looking at Kageyama. He was focused on massaging his calves. They had been stiff lately. "So, you joined?" 

Kageyama rolled his eyes and moved into a different position, his forehead touching the blue gym mat, his back feeling a burn as he stretched it out. "I said I would" 

Ushijima shrugged, "It wouldn't be the first time you blatantly ignored my advice." 

Thinking back, Kageyama realized he had often received advice from Ushijima and more than often, he ignored it and did whatever he thought was best. Still, there had been times in the past that Ushijima had been sort of a mentor to him. Specifically when volleyball was concerned. And in this case, volleyball was _the_ concern. Since he had spoken to Ushijima he had been keenly sensitive to how he was playing. He had thought he would immediately be back to his old self, but the more he studied the game tapes, the more he realized he hadn't been himself for a while. At least since he saw Oikawa. 

"What're you dickheads talking about?" Hoshiumi aggressively plopped himself down between Kageyama and Ushijima who both rolled their eyes, Kageyama scoffing slightly. 

"Nothing." Kageyama said, knee pulled closely to his chest. 

"I know you, Tobio." Hoshiumi rolled his eyes and turned to Ushijima for answers. 

"He joined the chat room." Ushijima said, standing up and looming over both of them. 

Korai raised his eyebrows and nodded in understanding. He waited for Ushijima to go away before he whacked Tobio across the chest. "Seriously? Did you tell him about Oikawa or something?" 

Kageyama shook his head. 

"Then why would he recommend that chat room?" Hoshiumi was now basically on top of Kageyama, pushing his leg into his chest to stretch him out. 

Kageyama was trapped, he had no choice but to look at his roommate, scowl persistently drawn on his forehead. "What do you mean?" 

Hoshiumu released the pressure on Kageyama's leg and let go, sitting beside him. Kageyama sat up and his eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Well... Ushijima basically started that chat after his break up with Tendou-San. He said he wanted to get 'refocused'." Hoshiumi used air quotes on the last point. 

Kageyama thought for a few minutes. He realized he hadn't known that Tendou and Ushijima had been dating, let alone that they had broken up. As he thought back, he recalled the way that Ushijima had responded when he had seen Tendou in the stands. A slight twist of his usually straight mouth, colour painted on his cheeks, delayed responses as if in a dream. And one day, Tendou stopped coming and Ushijima missed an easy hit. He internally nodded in understanding. _Jesus, is that what I was like after Shoyo?_

"I see." 

"Regardless, he doesn't know about Oikawa. He just said I've been off my game." Kageyama explained. 

Tobio could almost see the weight being removed from Hoshiumi's chest. "Thank God. I thought I was gonna have to say something. And that would've been really awkward for us as roommates." 

Kageyama moved his head swiftly and glared at Hoshiumi. "So, you noticed too? And you didn't say anything?" 

Hoshiumi sensed the gloom emitting from Kageyama. But he just shrugged and glared back, birdlike eyes narrowing. "Honestly, I just figured you'd get over it." 

"And I am!" 

"Good!" Hoshiumi said and stood up, reaching a hand down to help Kageyama. "Come on. I want to get food before everything is closed." 

Kageyama accepted his hand and pulled extra hard as he got up, jerking Korai's body as he stood. "Ugh." 

Hoshiumi laughed to himself. "I know you're hungry. Let's go." 

Korai walked in front of Tobio to the locker rooms and they changed together in comfortable silence before walking out of the gym in practiced synchronicity. The two of them had gone through the motions of their days for long enough that each knew how to act around the other. Although they were an unlikely match, Hoshiumi felt like the brother that Kageyama never had. They walked quietly and finally stopped, at the same time, in front of a restaurant near their house. 

"Yeah?" Hoshiumi raised his eyebrows 

Kageyama nodded and they walked into the bustling restaurant, each of them ordering dishes they'd eaten millions of times. They devoured their meals in silence, starving after practice. Kageyama was happy with the silence, and it would have stayed that way if it hadn't been for his phone going off in the middle of the meal. It was a notification sound he hadn't heard before. He rummaged through the pockets of his joggers before finally extracting his phone. He looked at the screen and saw that someone had replied to his message on the volleyball chat. He didn't want to be rude and open it in front of his friend, so he shoved his phone back into his pocket, deeming the message as inappropriate. 

"Sorry." Tobio muttered, looking up across the table. 

Hoshiumi smiled and fumbled for his wallet. "No worries. Ready to go?" Tobio nodded and Hoshiumi stood up, going to pay the cheque. They had a system that dictated that they would take turns paying whenever they went out together. At first, it had been complicated trying to remember who's turn it was, but as they fell into a rhythm everything seemed to come naturally, including realizing who's turn it was to get the bill. Kageyama stood up and waited at the door, leaving silently with Hoshiumi a few steps behind him. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Tobio finally said. 

Korai nodded his response. 

"Do you believe in soul mates?" 

Hoshiumi turned his head in the blink of an eye to look at Tobio, who was still staring straight ahead. He thought carefully for several moments before nodding and biting his lip. "I do. But not that there is one for everyone and... I think your soulmate can be plutonic, not just a romantic relationship." He said after a while. "Why?" Hoshiumi studied Tobio's face and noticed him twisting his mouth to the side in confusion. 

After a few long moments, Kageyama finally answered. "I was just wondering." He shrugged and kept walking, looking straight ahead. He didn't know why but when he brought it up, Oikawa's obnoxiously smug face showed itself in the forefront of his brain. 

They were already at home by the time Kageyama finally responded and Hoshiumi was tired, ready for bed. He smiled softly, rubbing his eyes. "Alright, goofball." Hoshiumi grinned, almost knowingly, before he started to walk down the hallway. "You should answer that response in the chat." He said as he turned around to look at Kageyama before disappearing to his room. 

Kageyama rolled his eyes and went to sit on the couch, slinging his legs over the armrest. He groaned as he wondered how Hoshiumi knew what the notification he had gotten at the restaurant had been about. He finally decided to take his phone out again, reading over the message. 

_**vballroyalty17: Position?**_

He just blinked as his stomach fell. He had been expecting a much more scintillating response than that. He had, after all, all but short of revealed his true identity with his first message. He was wondering how anyone could possibly make friends in the chat room if everyone was just going to respond so curtly. Still, something within him made him compelled to answer. As his fingers hovered over his keyboard, he felt heat brimming inside him. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Setter.**_

He threw his phone as soon as he sent the message. As his heart raced, he took a deep breath and crawled across the floor to retrieve his device, totally confused about why he felt so nervous responding to a strange online. 

_**vballroyalty17: Bro finally fml. I've been so lonely.**_

_**Goldeneagle20: No friends?** _

_**vballroyalty17: Stfu, of course i do. Also, dry. Maybe you won't spice things up after all...**_

Kageyama just stared at his phone. He felt like he had been kicked in the chest. He hadn't realized that being part of a volleyball chat room would require him to be particularly entertaining. He sighed and plugged his phone in before heading to the bathroom to shower, only one person coming to mind as he held his own cock and felt it filling up as he stroked his fingers against it. Before he was able to give into his instincts, he withdrew his hand as if his cock was a burning cattle prod, and turned the shower to cold, instantly rerouting his thoughts. He looked up into the head of the shower and opened his eyes, washing away the image of aquamarine eyes staring into his. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Not here to spice things up, just here for a distraction. And volleyball ofc** _

Tobio stared at his message, wishing he could delete it. Saying he was there for a distraction was so weird. He got into the shower and plugged his phone into his charger, trying to forget about his encounter, slowly realizing he was just as awkward online as he was in person. 

Finally in bed after what felt like an endless day, he decided to open his phone once more. He nearly choked on his water as he read the messages. Maybe _**vballroyalty17**_ hadn't meant it, but their message came off very sexually.

_**vballroyalty17: LOL good luck with that**_  
_**vballroyalty17: If you really need a distraction... dm me**_

Kageyama rolled his eyes, not responding, before putting his phone away and drifting into a restless slumber.


	5. Connection

Kageyama woke up the next morning feeling lighter than he had in a while. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Hinata’s face wasn’t the first thing he saw in his mind’s eye as he regained consciousness. It wasn’t until he was drinking coffee and scrolling through his news app that he thought about his ex. The ginger’s face invaded his mind for good reason; morning coffee together had been a tradition they’d kept while they were together. Shoyo wasn’t a morning person, so first thing after waking up was some of the only time that he was actually quiet. It had been somewhat of a sacred ritual while they had been dating. 

Kageyama let out a heavy sigh and switched from reading the news to scrolling through social media. He glared as he saw a picture of Oikawa and his girlfriend, his arm protectively slung around her shoulders as they stood at what appeared to be an outdoor concert. The wide grin across Oikawa’s face made Kageyema’s stomach sink and he rolled his eyes, quickly closing the app and opening the volleyball chat again. 

The chat had continued throughout the night without him as he had been asleep. But instead of reading the newest conversations, he stared at the message he had last been mentioned in. 

_**vballroyalty17: If you really need a distraction... dm me**_

The message seemed to have a pulse, throbbing off the screen as Kageyama continued to look at it. He let out a deep sigh and slammed his phone onto the table, getting up for another cup of coffee. When he returned, he looked at the message again and before he could convince himself otherwise he opened a private message. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Are you going to tell me a story or something?**_

Kageyama quickly put his phone away and went to take a shower, instantly regretting what he had sent. In the shower, he once again found himself with a hand wrapped around his cock, moaning Oikawa’s name again and again until he came, hating himself even more after he was finished. He groaned as he got out of the shower, wrapping his lower half in a towel. He grabbed his phone and flopped on his bed, both anxious and excited to check for a response. He finally worked up the nerve to open his phone. 

_**vballroyalty17: Why would I tell you a story?**_

Kageyama stared at his phone with his brow furrowed, the pit in his stomach growing larger still. 

_**vballroyalty17: ??**_

As Kageyama deliberated his answer, he had received another message. He bit his lip and smiled softly. He couldn’t explain why, but he was glad that the other person was so eager for a response that he would be impatient like that. 

_**Goldeneagle20: I meant… because you said you were gonna distract me.**_

He received a response almost instantaneously. _Geez, doesn’t vballroyalty17 have a life?_ , Tobio thought to himself before he realized that he, too, was sitting by the phone, waiting for a response. 

_**vballroyalty17: … you’re a dumbass huh?**_

Kageyama glared and was about to put his phone away, ready to give up on this person. But something within him made him want to keep the conversation going. 

_**Goldeneagle20: No. I’m actually not.**_

_**vballroyalty17: Mhmm, sure. I obviously wasn’t talking about reading a book. Unless that’s some euphemism for flirting that I don’t know about**_

Kageyama stared at his phone for a moment as he furrowed his brow. _euphemism?_

Kageyama stormed into Hoshiumi’s room without knocking. The smaller boy just slowly put his book down, letting out a steady sigh and raising his eyebrows at Kageyama. “What now?” 

“What’s a euphemism?” Kageyama said. His tone was shrill and rushed; he was anxious to give vballroyalty17 a response. 

Hoshiumi just kept staring. “What?” 

Kageyama saw red and he rushed to Hoshiumi’s bed, yanking him up by the fabric of his pyjama’s. “A euphemism!!! What is it?” 

Hoshiumi laughed and nodded. “Ah, I see.” He got up from the bed and walked to his bookcase, standing with his hands on his hips for a few moments before reaching for a large book that Kageyama had never seen him reading. He tossed the big book at his roommate, a smirk on his face. “Here. Look it up.” 

“Tch. Why do I even bother asking you stuff?” Kageyama glared and began flipping furiously through the dictionary, sitting on the edge of Hoshiumi’s bed as the other boy laid back down and pulled the covers up to his chin. 

“Because you don’t own a dictionary?” 

Kageyama didn’t look up from his research as he gave Hoshiumi the middle finger. After a moment of searching he saw the definition he was looking for. “You could have just told me that!!” 

Hoshiumi laughed and pointed at the door. “Goodbye.” 

Kageyama rushed out of the room and picked up his phone again. 

_**Goldeneagle20: It wasn’t a euphemism. But wait… flirting?**_

_**vballroyalty17: I mean… you’re a setter, I’m a setter… sounds like a match made in heaven if you ask me**_

Kageyama blushed and stared at his phone. He had never done anything remotely like what he was doing now. And he knew he wasn’t even doing anything, just talking to another volleyball player online. Still, he felt like a fish out of water. At this point, he wished Oikawa lived nearby just so he could ask for tips on how to flirt, since Oikawa was always so skilled at it. 

_**Goldeneagle20: I didn’t ask.**_

_**vballroyalty17: LOL omg. Well, if you don’t wanna talk then just lemme know**_

_**Goldeneagle20: No! I do… I do! This just feels weird, I’ve never talked to a stranger like this before.**_

Kageyama’s fingers had seemed to move before his brain had a chance to keep up. It was as though he was absolutely desperate to talk to this person. 

_**vballroyalty17: Well, how bout I just ask you questions, and you answer? If you get uncomfortable just tell me**_

Kageyama blinked, stunned, as he stared at the phone. His heart raced in his chest. 

_**vballroyalty17: Unless you don’t wanna get to know each other?**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Wait! I do! I do.**_

So, Kageyama spent the next three hours answering a stranger’s questions and learning things about someone that he had never even learned about Hinata when they had been together. While much of their conversation was spent discussing trivial topics like their favourites, movies, books, music, or places they’ve visited, by about halfway through, Tobio somehow felt comfortable enough to tell them stories about his life. He ranted about his family, his insecurities, and even his recent heartbreak. It felt good to be able to confide in someone. He didn’t know if it was because it was a stranger, or because they were just getting close so fast, but it was easy to tell his texting partner anything he was asked. And vballroyalty17 did the same thing. Tobio felt his heart wrenching as he read about the other’s struggles with familial pressure and the loneliness they felt from being so competitive. 

_**vballroyalty17: Thx for listening. It’s nice to have someone to talk to**_

Tobio smiled down at his phone. His cheeks flushed and he furrowed his brow as he felt butterflies explode within his gut, flying up into his chest. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Don’t you have anyone you can talk to irl?** _

Kageyama regretted his message when he saw that vballroyalty17 was typing and stopped. It was several minutes without a response before Tobio gave up. He got up and pulled on a hoodie, ready to leave for a jog. He hollered goodbye to Hoshiumi, not waiting for a response before he fled out of their apartment. Kageyama began to jog, trying to clear his head. As much as he tried, he couldn’t get the words of the stranger out of his mind. He picked up the pace, breaking into a sprint as he rounded the corner to a park he frequented. He finally stopped and sat on a bench beneath a drooping willow tree, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He tried to resist the urge, but Tobio couldn’t help but pull out his phone and open the app. He bit his lip as it loaded, a small smile creeping onto his face as he saw he had a new message. 

_**vballroyalty17: I have a girlfriend**_

Kageyama’s heart sunk. _Well, that was fun while it lasted._ He sighed and wiped some sweat from his brow. Of course the person is in a relationship, it was just his luck lately. Tobio wondered what it was about him that kept him falling for people who were committed to others. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Oh cool**_

He was unable to come up with anything scintillating to say. He was too disappointed. Kageyama didn’t know why he had gotten his hopes up anyways, it was obviously impossible to have real feelings for someone you’ve never met. Right? 

_**vballroyalty17: But…**_

Kageyama’s heart raced. And not because of exertion from his run. 

_**Goldeneagle20: ?**_

_**vballroyalty17: We’ve never connected… I can’t talk to her… not like this anyway…**_

A smile tugged at Tobio’s lips. Before he said anything that could possibly drive the other person away, Kageyama stood up and jogged home. This time, his pace was confident and relaxed. By the time he got home, he felt like a portion of the weight on his shoulders was lifted. He lay in bed that night, staring at his ceiling, trying desperately to not reach for his phone. He wanted to leave vballroyalty17 hanging a bit before he responded. The more he thought about their conversation, the more he wanted to put a face to the person he so easily got along with. It was as if they were old friends, not new strangers. But the more Kageyama tried to envision a person to go along with the entity, the more concretely he saw Oikawa’s face in his mind. 

“Fuck.” Kageyama’s eyes flew open. He rubbed them as if he was rubbing a stain out of his carpet. 

After a while of thinking, he realized he should probably cut off the stranger. He was clearly not over Oikawa and knew more than anyone how it felt to be led on. He didn’t want to do that to someone else, even if they were someone he didn’t actually know.


	6. The Saturday Ritual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long, I'm sorry! - Em

The next few weeks seemed to pass in a blur. Kageyama kept busy with school and training. He hadn’t even gone on a date in weeks. It’s not that he didn’t want to keep trying to put himself out there, it’s just that he was totally swamped. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fact that he spent every free moment he had texting with the anonymous setter. Still, he was beginning to feel as though the person he had once considered a stranger was actually becoming someone he cared about. He didn’t know for sure, but it seemed reciprocal. The other texted him every night and every morning. It was even more consistent than when Kageyama had been in a relationship with Hinata, who often woke up in too much of a rush to bother to send a ‘Good Morning’ text. These days, the first thing Tobio did when he opened his eyes was check his chat app. 

_**vballroyalty17: I absolutely bombed a match today.**_

Kageyama smiled. One of his favourite things to do was talk about volleyball with this person. Although usually their conversations ended up quickly derailed into other topics. 

_**Goldeneagle20: I’m sure you didn’t.**_

_**vballroyalty17: Oh, I did. I’ll tell you about it.** _

So Kageyama read the story of the other setter’s blunder. He related to it more than he cared to admit. Still, what vballroyalty17 thought he did wrong was probably a lot worse in his head than it actually was in real life. 

_**vballroyalty17: The worst part is, when I tried to tell my gf about it, she just shrugged it off and told me I looked hot?! For once, I wish she’d actually listen to me**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Wow, it must suck to be wanted, huh?**_

_**vballroyalty17: Stfu. I’m sure you’re wanted too. Plus, I’d way rather have someone listen to me than just wanna fuck me**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Or… get you a man who can do both ;)**_

Kageyama was so into the conversation that he hadn’t even thought before he sent the message. His eyes widened and his stomach sunk. _Oh my God… fuck!_ He didn’t even know if the other person was straight, or bi, or gay, or what, and now not only is he assuming the other wants a man but he was also kind of flirting. Was he?! 

_**Goldeneagle20: Oh my god. I meant… a WOman… for you**_

_**vballroyalty17: Or a man :P**_

Kageyama felt his heart thumping heavily against his ribcage. He bit his lip as he stared at the message, wondering why he felt so nervous and excited at the same time. 

_**Goldeneagle20: lol**_

_LOL?! That’s what you came up with?!_ Kageyama rolled over in his bed, groaning. 

_**vballroyalty17: Actually… that reminds me, I don’t actually know your gender OR your sexuality. Wtf we’ve been talking for so long but somehow, it never really mattered**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Does it matter now?**_

_**vballroyalty17: Not at all, but I’m curious**_

Suddenly nervous, Tobio closed his phone. He wasn’t sure he was ready to find out the gender of the person he had been talking to. He stood up and shook his head, trying to convince himself that their gender didn’t matter to him. Of course, it shouldn’t. Unless they were a girl. Things would definitely be different if they were female. That’s when it hit him, Kageyama realized that despite not knowing any personal details about the online stranger, not even seeing a picture or hearing their voice, he was starting to develop feelings for them. Was it even possible? Kageyama went to the bathroom and quickly ran the shower, stepping in and hoping to clear his head. 

_Of course it’s not possible. You can’t have a crush on someone you’ve never met or even seen... can you?_

He finished getting ready quickly after checking the time and realizing it was nearly time for his weekly outing with Hoshiumi. Tobio threw some clothes on and strolled into the living room, fully prepared to wait twenty minutes while his roommate dawdled, as he did every Saturday. Instead, his eyes widened as he saw Korai at the door of their apartment, leaning up to kiss a man that Kageyama instantly recognized as Hirugami, Korai’s new boyfriend. 

“Ahem.” Kageyama cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly so it didn’t seem like he was staring. Had he not wanted to be rude, he would have kept looking. Hirugami was even better looking in person than in all of the pictures he had been forced to scroll through when Hoshiumi was first starting to develop feelings for him. 

Hoshiumi broke away from the kiss and smiled, not even the slightest bit embarrassed by what Kageyama had just walked in on. “Oh, Tobio! I’m glad you’re here. I’ve wanted you to two to meet for a while.” 

Tobio tried to smile and walked towards them, bowing slightly. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Likewise. Korai speaks very highly of you.” 

“And you, too.” 

Hoshiumi looked from Kageyama to Hirugami and back, laughing. “Wow, weirdos… so formal.” He shrugged and began pushing Hirugami out the door. “Alright, I’ll call you later.” 

“Tch.” As the door shut, Tobio stared at his roommate. “He didn’t have to go so quickly.” 

“Honestly, I’ve been trying to get him outta here for like 15 minutes, he just keep hugging and kissing me like an orphan puppy meeting it’s new owner.” 

“Imagine being loved, couldn’t be me.” Kageyama scoffed, although a smile crept across his face as he made fun of himself. He was finally beginning to be alone without being lonely, and he didn’t totally hate how it felt. 

Hoshiumi chuckled and reached up to pinch Tobio’s cheeks. “Aw, little Tobio wants a hug too?” 

Kageyama wrinkled his nose in disgust and pushed Korai away. “I won’t hesitate to punch you.” 

“Ugh. I actually believe you.” Hoshiumi slipped his shoes on. “Ready?” 

Kageyama just nodded and the two of them headed out of their apartment. In the elevator, Kageyama turned to his roommate. “He could’ve come with us.” 

Hoshiumi smiled but stared straight ahead. “Nonsense, this is our thing. No boyfriends allowed.” 

“Are you?” Kageyama raised his eyebrows. “Boyfriends, I mean.” 

Korai felt a blush spread across his cheeks. “I think so.” He looked at Tobio hopefully. “I hope so!” 

“He seems great.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure from that one encounter you can really tell.” 

“Well, then we will have to hang out another time. If you want…” 

Hoshiumi’s face lit up as his smile widened. “That would be awesome!” 

“Yeah, yeah, tone it down.” Kageyama shook his head. 

Their Saturday outing consisted of a trip to the farmer’s market for fresh vegetables, reading new manga at a bookstore near their house, and finished with coffee at their favourite coffee shop. It had taken them a little bit of time, but they had gotten a solid routine down. This ritual was one of the only things that had gotten Kageyama out of bed on the weekends in the time just after he and Hinata had broken up and he was grateful for it, appreciating the regularity in his otherwise hectic life. 

Kageyama was thumbing through the pages of a new chapter of his favourite series, when he felt a strong poke in the middle of his back. He turned around to see Hoshiumi staring at him with a finger over his lips to silence him. Kageyama just raised his eyebrows and Hoshiumi pointed across the store. 

There, standing so close they could almost be seen as one body, was Hinata and Miya Atsumu. Kageyama felt his heart drop like he was on the decline of a rollercoaster. 

“Tch. Of course.” He grumbled. His eyes scanned the bookstore, looking for any way they could escape without running into his ex. 

“Let’s just get it over with… I’m right here.” Korai whispered and reached to squeeze Kageyama’s hand reassuringly. 

Kageyama nodded and the unlikely roommates walked across the store towards the entrance, where their paths would inevitably cross with Hinata’s. 

“Hi.” Kageyama said, not being able to think of anything else. 

Atsumu was first to turn around, the smile on his face dimmed slightly as he registered who was speaking. “Tobio-kun!” 

Kageyama glared. He had always hated when Atsumu had referred to him by that name, and it stung even more now. He wished he could slap the fake smile right off of Atsumu's face.

“Oh! Hi!” Hinata’s voice hit Kageyama like a gunshot to the head. Worse than his voice, was the bright expression he maintained. Meanwhile, it was all Kageyama could do to keep from full out glaring at both of them. “What’re you doing here?” 

Kageyama just raised his hand to show what he had been reading. 

“Ooh yes! I heard that was coming out soon. How is it?” 

“Good. How are _you_?” Kageyama already knew how he was. Even though he was moving on, he still stalked Hinata’s social media on a regular basis. 

“Great!” Hinata said. His hand was still linked with Atsumu’s. 

“We’re great too.” Kageyama let out a small sigh of relief as Hoshiumi stepped forward a bit, responding. He puffed out his chest and tilted his chin up, trying to show he was taller than Hinata. Tobio just stared at his ex, appraising him. 

“Nice to hear.” Hinata said. “We should catch up soon, I miss you.” His eyes sparkled as they bore straight into Kageyama’s. Did he not realize how much those words hurt? 

Miya Atsumu removed his hand from Hinata’s and slung it over his shoulder, protectively. “Well, Sho, we should get going…” He reached down and spoke softly, almost purring his words, in Hinata’s ear. 

“Right!” Hinata nodded swiftly. “Nice to see you both!” He continued to grin, not waiting for a response before he was led the opposite direction. 

As they walked away, Kageyama watched keenly, looking for any sign of a strain in their relationship, but as he saw Hinata looking up at Atsumu, laughing with flushed cheeks, all he noticed was that he was shining brighter than ever. 

Kageyama glowers in silent self-pity as they walked towards the coffee shop. Suddenly, Hoshiumi jabbed him in the ribs, shocking him from his thoughts. 

“What’re you so upset for? You practically have a boyfriend anyways.” 

Kageyama rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Shut up. A stranger I talk to online is hardly my boyfriend.” He sighs as they turn the corner. “Besides, he’s straight, remember?” 

Hoshiumi just chuckles. “Yeah, I was too until I met Hirugami. Now I’m about as straight as a wet noodle.” 

Kageyama looks down at him with a glare, his eyebrows knotted. “Wet noodles aren’t straight.” 

“Dumbass! That’s the point!” Korai shakes his head and pushes the door to the coffee shop open, holding it for Kageyama to go in ahead of him. 

They ordered their drinks and sat down at their usual table. Kageyama sipped his drink in silence while Hoshiumi texted, laughing to himself every once in a while. Tobio couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. He was happy for his friend, but he wished he still had someone to make him smile at his phone. Kageyama let out a small sigh. A few moments later, he let out a bigger one. Hoshiumi put his phone on the table and slowly raised his head to face his roommate. 

“Yes?” 

Kageyama set his jaw and crossed his arms. “I might as well not even be here for the amount of attention you’re paying to me.” 

“God, you’re a brat.” He clicked his tongue and put his phone away. “But fine, whaddya want to talk about?” 

Kageyama just shrugged. 

“Okay… well… I could tell you something I heard the other day, if you want?” Tobio just bobbed his head, waiting for Hoshiumi to continue. “I was chatting with Bokuto-San, you know how we always get to talking after our matches?” 

Tobio nodded. He knew all too well. There had been many occasions in the past when they had just finished a gruelling game against MSBY and he had been ready and waiting to go home, especially to get away from Hinata, only to be held up by Hoshiumi talking to Bokuto, or anyone for that matter. He let out a low groan as he thought about all of the times he had been standing around, trying to give his roommate subtle hints that it was time to go, only for them to completely fly over Hoshiumi’s head while he chatted. 

“Don’t gimme that look or I won’t finish the story.” Hoshiumi warned as he noted Kageyama’s intense glare. 

“Fine. Keep going.” Tobio tried to soften his face. 

“Anyways, Bokuto-San told me that Akaashi-San still keeps up with Tsukishima, you know? That nerd from your old school?” 

“I know who he is.” 

“And Tsukishima was asking about you.” Hoshiumi spat the last part out excitedly. 

“What? Asking what?” 

“You know… asking about you!” Hoshiumi winked a few times to get his message across. Kageyama still stared blankly. “Like… he wanted to know what you were up to, if you were seeing anyone, that kind of thing.” 

“Ew, why?” 

Hoshiumi kicked Tobio’s shin under the table. “I guess he thinks you’re cute or something. God knows why.” He rolled his eyes. 

“There’s no way he thinks that. We hate each other.” 

“Oh ya? Like how you and Oikawa hate each other?” 

Kageyama looked down into his cup at the mention of Oikawa’s name. “That’s different.” He mumbled. 

“Whatever. I gave Bokuto-San your number to pass on.” 

“You did WHAT?” Kageyama raised his voice, causing several patrons in the coffee shop to look their way. 

Hoshiumi shrugged. The smug smirk on his face only caused Kageyama’s scowl to increase. “Sorry, but I’m pretty sure you’ve dated everyone else that’s available at this point.” 

“You make me sound like some sort of slut!” 

“Pft. Yeah right. I’m just saying, you’ve gone on a lot of unsuccessful dates. Am I wrong?” Korai raised his eyebrows as he waited for a response. 

“I guess…” 

“What’s the harm in dating an old friend?” 

Kageyama went silent. He thought back to the last time he had seen Tsukishima. It had been at a birthday party for Hinata, maybe two years earlier. They had barely even spoken except to insult one another. Still, he had to admit, he had always found Tsuki kind of cute, in a nerdy sort of way. 

“The harm is that we hate each other. We were never friends.” Kageyama said. 

He wasn’t lying. In high school, Kageyama had managed to become at least friendly with all of his teammates. He would consider Sugawara, Noya, Yachi, Yamaguchi, and, of course, Hinata all his friends. But no matter what, he could never seem to fully break the ice with Tsukishima. 

“High school was a long time ago now, Tobes.” Hoshiumi said, as if reading Kageyama’s thoughts. “If he texts you, just talk with him.” 

Kageyama let out a huff. He knew his roommate wouldn’t give up, so he decided to give in. “Fine. But I’m not promising a date.” 

“Good boy.” Korai said and lifted his cup to his lips, letting out a rather obnoxious slurp as he sipped his drink.


	7. Double Text

As their Saturday outing dragged on, Kageyama began feeling restless. Unlike Korai, who could sit for hours in a coffee shop bustling with daydreaming hipsters, lamenting housewives, and scheming businessmen, Tobio preferred to exist in the solitude and privacy of their own home. He was always fine to sit and chat while they drank coffee or shared a bite to eat, but the moment he had no consumables to focus on, he became acutely aware of all the people around. He tapped his fingers on the table, letting out a heavy sigh. His third sigh let out a gust so strong, Korai felt it on his face. 

“What is it, Tobio?” Hoshiumi raised his eyebrows and looked intently at his roommate. 

“Nothing.” Kageyama pouted and crossed his arms. The table shook as he jostled his leg up and down beneath it. 

“Well, I guess we should get going.” Korai stood up and stretched, turning around so Kageyama couldn’t see his smirk. 

“Finally!” Tobio exclaimed and leapt to his feet. He quickly cleared the cups from the table and scampered after Hoshiumi, who hadn’t waited and was already out the door. 

In the elevator to their suite, Kageyama pulled his phone from his pocket. He had barely checked it all morning. Even if he and Hoshiumi weren’t in a conversation, they still had a roommate rule about texting while hanging out. At first, Korai had whined about having to put his phone away for sustained periods of time. But eventually, he accepted it and, although he’d never admit it to Kageyama, appreciated the way that it forced him to live in the moment. Plus, it was definitely worth putting his phone away if it meant avoiding Tobio whining about it the entire time. 

“So, that’s why you were in such a rush to come back.” Hoshiumi raised an eyebrow as he leaned towards Kageyama, trying to sneak a peek at the phone. 

Kageyama elbowed him hard, knocking him to the other side of the elevator. “Tch. Yeah right.” 

“Sure, so you’re not about to text your volleyball friend then?” 

As Kageyama stared at the app loading on his screen, his cheeks flushed. He rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” 

“Well, you know the person you _should_ be texting is that dino nerd, not a stranger you’ll never even meet, right?” 

“I don’t even have Tsukishima’s phone number!” As they arrived on their floor, Kageyama fled from the elevator before the doors were even fully open. 

“Mhmm. He'll text you. Then you’ll have it!” Hoshiumi leaned against the wall as Tobio fumbled for his keys. He was carrying so many bags from the farmer’s market, it was hard for him to juggle everything. Hoshiumu pushed him out of the way and adjusted the key in the lock, letting them into their apartment. 

“God, you’re annoying.” Tobio mumbled and went to put stuff away in the kitchen. 

“I know.” Hoshiumi grinned and opened the refrigerator, wincing as he emptied the crisper of some soggy spinach to make room for the fresh vegetables. 

The pair silently put their purchases away. One of the good things about the fact that they were teammates before they became roommates was that they knew how to work together. They hardly ever got in each other’s way and knew one another well enough to know when to be quiet and when to speak. Although he would have enjoyed a bit more socialization from his roommate, as Kageyama strode to his bedroom and closed the door, Hoshiumi knew that now was the time to be quiet. He sighed and flopped onto the couch in the living room, smiling to himself as he picked up the phone to text his boyfriend. 

Now that he had some alone time, Kageyama looked at his phone again. He re-read the last words exchanged between him and _**vballroyalty17**_ and felt his stomach do a backflip. He was excited to talk again and his fingers flew across the touch screen of his phone as he typed his response. 

_**Goldeneagle20: I am a man. And I like men.**_

_**vballroyalty17: Ohohoho?? Is that so?**_

Kageyama stared at his phone, smiling for no reason. There was something familiar in that response. He waited for the _typing_ indicator to come up on their chat, something to show that the other person was going to disclose the same information as he just did. But nothing appeared.

_**Goldeneagle20: And what about you?**_

He gulped and quickly shut his phone, scared of the response. After a few minutes of overthinking, he couldn’t handle the suspense. His eyes widened as he read the message. 

_**vballroyalty17: I am also a man. And I don’t discriminate ;)**_

Kageyama bit his lip, furrowing his brow as he felt a hint of arousal in his abdomen. 

“Tch. Really?” He glared and spoke to his crotch, adjusting himself in his pants. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Like… you like both?**_

_**vballroyalty17: You betcha. It’s more about personality for me.**_

Kageyama rolled his eyes. _Oh god, well then he’ll never like me._

_**vballroyalty17: So, what’d you do today?**_

_**Goldeneagle20: It’s still early for me. But I did go shopping and for coffee with my roommate. You?**_

_**vballroyalty17: Oh, it’s late here. Guess we are in different time zones lol.**_

Tobio let out another big sigh. 

_**Goldeneagle20: What time is it for you?**_

_**vballroyalty17: Past midnight.**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Oh. It is early afternoon here.** _

_**vballroyalty17: Well, I guess I should make some coffee so I can stay up and talk to you, huh?**_

Kageyama’s heart fluttered as he read the message. He rolled onto his stomach and squealed into his pillowcase. 

_**Goldeneagle20: You don’t have to do that.**_

_**vballroyalty17: Oh, but I want to :D**_

_**vballroyalty17: So, anything fun happen while you were out?**_

Kageyama smiled and tried to slow his beating heart as he sprung up from the bed. He flung the door open and bounded towards the living room, plopping himself on the floor beside the couch Hoshiumi was sprawled out on. He grabbed the remote and muted the TV, warranting a whack on the head from his roommate. 

“What now?” 

“If someone texts twice in a row… it means they wanna talk to you, right?” 

Hoshiumi chuckled and then his eyes widened as his face broke into a grin. “Did Tsuki text you?” 

“Ew, no.” 

“Volleyball stranger?” Korai relaxed back into the cushions, no longer that excited about the exchange Tobio was asking him about. 

Tobio nodded. “And… we can call him volleyball _boy_ now because he finally told me his gender.” 

“Wow. Great.” Hoshiumi’s voice was monotone. He picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels, trying to find something else to watch. 

“Well?” 

“Well, what?” 

“Does it mean he wants to talk to me?” Kageyama raised his eyebrows. 

Hoshiumi was about to launch a complaint about being interrupted for trivial matters, but when he saw the innocent, hopeful look on Kageyama’s face he lost the desire to do so. Instead, he ruffled Kageyama’s hair like a puppy dog.  


“Yeah, Tobes. I think that means he wants to talk to you.” Korai smiled softly, but after a moment his expression faded. “I still think you need to be careful.” 

Kageyama was getting up to go back to his room when he heard his roommate’s words and stopped in his tracks, turning around. “Why?” 

Hoshiumi let out a sigh and frowned. “For starters, you don’t know this person at all. They could be a mass murderer. And I don’t want you to get too involved with a relationship that obviously isn’t going anywhere.” 

Kageyama just blinked. He felt hot annoyance rising within him and he fought to hold back his anger. “Thanks for the concern.” He said after a long shaky breath to calm himself down. He glared and turned back towards his bedroom. 

As he stared at the ceiling, he thought about what Hoshiumi had said. He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to allow himself to acknowledge that his roommate was right, at least partially. So instead, he reached for his phone again, content to distract himself from all parts of his reality, at least for the time being. 

_**Goldeneagle20: I wouldn’t exactly call it fun… but I ran into my ex while I was out shopping**_

_**vballroyalty17: Oof. How was that?** _

Kageyama closed his eyes, thinking about his encounter with Hinata. He wouldn’t exactly say he had been happy about their run-in but seeing him with Atsumu at least didn’t make him want to scream anymore. What confused Kageyama even more is that as he thought about it, he realized that Hinata didn’t make his heart race, at least not like it used to. 

Ever since he had met the shrimpy ginger, Kageyama had felt something being around him. At first it was annoyance bordering on anger. But the more time he spent with Hinata, practicing their quicks, walking home, napping on team busses, the more he began to realize that all of his anger and annoyance was really masking his admiration and, eventually, love. Once he accepted the fact that his feelings towards his teammate were more than platonic hatred, he started having new reactions when he saw Hinata. His palms got sweaty, he fumbled over his words, and his heart fluttered like hummingbird wings. As long as they were together, and until months afterward, Kageyama’s heart always raced around Hinata. 

Until today.


	8. Realization

A soft smile spread across Kageyama’s lips. For the first time, he actually felt like he could be getting over his first real love. When he lost Hinata, he felt like he had lost a limb. Everything that he would normally do easily took conscious effort. And it all hurt. He thought he would be stuck in that blinding pain forever. Kageyama hadn’t realized that through time, he was getting over it. Things started to hurt less, and he began to find joy in his usual activities again. Still, when he had seen Hinata somewhere with Atsumu, it would rip his healing wound open all over again, sending him back into devastation. But that didn’t happen this time. It wasn’t until he stared at the message on his screen and reflected on his reaction to seeing his ex being happy with someone else that he realized he might finally be okay on his own. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Actually… it wasn’t as bad as it usually is.**_

_**vballroyalty17: Well that’s good! Maybe you’re getting over him!**_

_**Goldeneagle20: FINALLY!!!**_

Kageyama grinned to himself but his smile faded as he received a text from someone else. He furrowed his brow at the unknown number on his screen and it wasn’t until he opened the message that he realized who it was. Tsukishima.

_Hi. It’s Tsuki. I got your number from a friend. I know this is out of the blue, but I was wondering if you wanted to go out?_

A groan escaped Kageyama’s lips. Even though he had been expecting this message, he hadn’t expected it to come so soon. He stood up and shuffled from his room to the living room, where Hoshiumi was eating popcorn and watching a movie. 

“He texted me.” 

Hoshiumi’s eyebrows shot up and he moved his legs so Kageyama could sit with him on the couch. “And?” 

“Asked me out.” Kageyama mumbled and rolled his eyes. 

“What did you say?” 

Kageyama scoffed and sat down on the couch, leaning his head against the back cushion and sighing. “I didn’t answer yet.” 

Hoshiumi laughed. “Dumbass.” 

“What? Why?” 

“Just say you’ll go out with him. What’s the harm in it?” Hoshiumi paused the show he was watching, realizing that his conversation was going to be longer than he thought. 

“Ugh. I could end up having to pay for yet another shitty date?” Kageyama groaned. 

“Who says you would be the one to pay?” 

“Well… if he is anything similar to how he used to be, Tsuki is pretty frugal.” 

Hoshiumi chuckled under his breath. “Just give him a chance, whether you pay or not.” 

Kageyama sighed and stared at his phone, the message glaring up at him. 

“Fine.”

_Okay._

Hoshiumi peered across the couch as Kageyama typed the message, giving him a swift swat to the shoulder as he saw what Tobio typed back. 

“That’s all you’re saying?” 

“What’s wrong with it?” Kageyama furrowed his brow, re-reading their messages, completely oblivious to the problem. 

“Forget it.” Hoshiumi laughed and continued staring, waiting or Tsuki to answer.

_lol don’t sound too excited. Anyway, when are you free?_

_Tomorrow night_

_I’ll pick you up at 7_

Kageyama thrust the phone towards Hoshiumi, shoving it in his face. “There, are you happy?” 

Hoshiumi reached over and ruffled Kageyama’s hair, grinning. “You bet. Now you have 24 hours to freak out about this.” 

Kageyama snatched his phone away and stood up, only giving Hoshiumi a scoff in response. _Why would I freak out? It’s just Tsukishima._ He went back to his room and flopped on his bed, responding in his online chatroom before heading to shower. 

Kageyama didn’t want to admit it, but Hoshiumi had been right. He spent the entire next day with his stomach wound into knots. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt sick with nervousness about the date with Tsuki in a way that he never felt when he was going on a date with strangers he met online. Kageyama accredited his anxiety to the fact that it had been a few weeks since he had last gone out with someone, but really, he knew it was because he had secretly always found Tsukishima cute, even as they argued and sparred all throughout high school. Kageyama had never figured out if it was his physical appearance, with his cute glasses masking a scowl, or the hardened exterior he showed to the world, that made him think Tsuki was cute. He did know, though, that he had always wanted to crack the hard shell and even be the one who brought a smile to his face. 

When Tsuki pulled up in front of Kageyama’s building, in a hybrid sedan, and Kageyama opened the door and got into the passenger seat, Tsuki was smiling, a trace of pink across his pale cheeks. Kageyama’s heart fluttered a bit. He finally got to be the source of Tsuki smiling. 

“Hi.” Kageyama said, he looked at Tsuki for a moment and then turned to face the front again, quickly doing up his seatbelt as the car lurched into motion. 

“How are you?” 

Kageyama froze, feeling unable to answer for a moment. “F-fine. Did you find it okay?” 

“I have GPS.” Tsuki answered. 

“Oh. Cool.” Kageyama said and looked at his hands. The air between them in the car felt thick and he could barely breathe, let alone slow his heart rate. Were things supposed to be this awkward on a first date? 

Tsuki turned on the radio to a low volume and tapped his long fingers against the steering wheel. 

“So… where are we going?” Kageyama finally asked. 

“I thought we’d get some dinner and drinks to start, if that works for you?” 

Kageyama breathed a little sigh of relief as he nodded. “Sounds good.” He smiled a bit as he looked out the window, feeling his anxiety begin to evaporate. Dinner and drinks was one a date with less pressure. The drinks always helped loosen him up, making him more conversational than he usually was. Plus, it was better than doing some cheesy game together or something. 

As if reading Kageyama’s mind, Tsuki added, “And then I thought we could play a round of mini golf.” 

Kageyama’s smile faded and he felt his face turn white. He fought the urge to let out a groan. “Uh… okay…” 

Tsuki laughed. He actually let out an unbridled laugh. Kageyama whipped his head towards him, shocked. “I’m kidding. I don’t want to do that. I actually hate dumb dates like that.” 

Kageyama raised his eyebrows. “Same! It’s awkward and not easy to talk during it and I’m usually too competitive and scare off my date completely!” 

“You? Competitive? Hard to believe.” Tsuki grinned as he kept driving. 

“No, really. I am very competitive!” 

“I know. We used to be teammates, remember?” Tsuki chuckled, not surprised that Kageyama had missed his sarcasm. 

After they managed to dissipate the tension between them, the rest of the date was actually fun. At dinner they ordered the same thing without even planning it and even before both of their faces were rosy from alcohol, they were talking easily and laughing together. By the time last call rolled around, after a brief protestation from Kageyama, Tsuki paid the bill. Kageyama didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol, he had drank twice as much as Tsuki, who was driving, or the fact that he had genuinely enjoyed himself on a date for the first time in a while, but when Tsuki parked in front of his house, he didn’t want to get out of the car. 

“Tonight was… surprisingly fun.” Tobio said as he looked across the car at Tsuki, studying the features of his face, which had matured since they had last seen one another. He had grown from a lanky, awkward teenager, into a confident, handsome man. 

Tsuki nodded and smiled back, staring into Kageyama’s eyes. “It really was…” His voice was low and quiet, sending tingles down Kageyama’s spine. 

“And… thank you.” Kageyama said, now whispering too. He still hadn’t broken their eye contact and he couldn’t help but trail his eyes to Tsuki’s lips. 

Tsuki let out a heavy, shaky exhale and bit his lip. Seeing Kageyama’s eyes land on his lips caused his cheeks to flush. He slowly moved across the centre of the car and cupped Tobio’s cheeks in his hand. “You don’t have to thank me.” He stroked Kageyama’s skin gently with his thumb. 

“O-okay.” Kageyama stuttered a bit as he responded, his cheeks hot beneath Tsuki’s touch. He moved forward towards Tsuki and placed a hand on his leg. 

Tsuki smiled and gently kissed Tobio on the nose before pulling away. 

“You missed.” Kageyama whispered as he raised his eyes to meet Kei’s again. 

Taking the hint, Tsuki leaned towards him and kissed him again, this time placing the kiss on his parted lips. He easily slid his tongue inside Kageyama’s mouth and deepened the kiss. Tobio let out a soft moan and kissed back, moving his hand to wrap around Tsuki’s waist, pulling him closer. As they kissed, Kageyama felt like it was something he had done thousands of times. It was nice, comfortable. But he didn’t feel electric. As he continued moving his lips against Tsuki’s, he thought about his conversation with _**vballroyalty17**_ from earlier. He had been in such a rush to meet Tsuki for the date, he hadn’t even answered his last message. The thought gnawed at him and although he tried to enjoy a kiss after what he had thought was a perfect date, Kageyama furrowed his brow a bit. Why was he thinking about some online stranger when he was in the arms of a real live person? And someone who he surprisingly got along with well, for that matter. Kageyama felt his stomach sink and he pulled away, looking down. 

“Sorry… was that too much?” Tsuki asked, genuine concern coating his voice. 

“No!” Kageyama reached for Tsuki’s hand and held it softly. “It’s not that… that was nice…” 

Tsuki raised an eyebrow. “What is it then?” 

“I think I have feelings for someone else.”


	9. Abs

Kageyama felt his heart race. It was the first time he’d actually said it out loud, admitted it to himself. He felt his heart race as he began to feel like saying it out loud made it too real, like it was solidifying his feelings and setting the trap for his inevitable heartbreak of losing someone he cared about. He took a deep breath and tried to push the thoughts from his mind, reminding himself that it was something he never had in the first place.

Tsuki’s face fell but he tried to paste a plastic smile onto his face. “Oh?” He raised his eyebrows. “Who’s the lucky guy?” 

Kageyama froze, unsure of how to answer. He wasn’t even sure who the guy was. He couldn’t possibly explain that he was crushing on someone he had never met, or even seen. He sighed and shrugged, “Heh. Not so lucky, I’m sure.” 

Tsuki reached and ruffled Kageyama’s hair. “Oh shush. You’re a catch, Tobio.” 

“Tch. You’re delusional but whatever.” He rolled his eyes and bit his lip as he stared back at Kei. He wished he was able to have feelings for Tsuki instead of the online stranger, but he couldn’t help it that someone online, probably across the world, made his heart race and his cheeks blush just from words on a screen. “But… I had a lot of fun with you. I hope we can be friends now.” 

“I’d like that.” Tsuki smiled again and gently squeezed Kageyama’s thigh. “And next time we hang out you can tell me about this mystery man.” 

Kageyama chuckled. “Sure, if there is even anything to tell.” 

They finished their conversation with a few smiles and awkward laughs, agreeing to see each other again soon, and then Kageyama got out of the car. He walked into his silent and dark apartment slowly, dragging his feet. The evening had been fun, but he had never expected staying out so long. He flicked on the lights and on the kitchen table, saw a note saying that Hoshiumi would be spending the night at Hirugami’s. Kageyama sighed in relief. At least this way, he wouldn’t have to be interrogated about his date… until tomorrow. He opened the fridge and grabbed the milk, chugging it right out of the jug as he looked for something to snack on. He put the milk back, wiping a dribble that was sliding down his chin, and grabbed some ice cream from the freezer. He sat on the couch with the carton and a spoon, and flipped on the tv, prepared to watch some mindless television. It wasn’t until he became bored from scrolling through tv shows he had already seen that he realized he hadn’t checked his phone in hours. 

He hastily unlocked his phone, his clumsy fingers moving so quickly he had to enter his password twice before he got it right. He opened the app and felt his pulse quicken, nervous to open the messages. But the feelings of nervousness were mixed with excitement, and he bit his lip as the conversation loaded. 

_**vballroyalty17: Heh. I don’t think it’ll be very hard for me to get over this chick I’m dating right now.** _

Kageyama felt his cheeks heat up and he furrowed his brow. _**Goldeneagle20: Wdym “it’ll”? Are you planning on breaking up with her or something?**_

He put his phone away, assuming it would be a while before he received a response. Especially since he had left the guy hanging for nearly a full day. But just before Kageyama closed his phone, he saw the dots underneath the messages, signifying that the other was typing. 

__**vballroyalty17: tbh yeah. I have been planning it for a while now… I just dunno how to do it**_ _

Kageyama grinned despite himself. He couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of him being single. _**Goldeneagle20: uh… well… you just have to do it I guess. Better than dragging it out**_

__**vballroyalty17: You’re right. Thx.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: Idk it’s just hard. I hate seeing people cry.**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: You’re pretty confident she would cry over you**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: Well… if you could see me you’d know why :P**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: pft. You really hot or what?**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: One day I’ll send you a pic and you can tell me yourself**_ _

Kageyama stopped shovelling ice cream into his mouth as he read the message. The spoon hung loosely between his lips and he read it over and over again. He had never thought they’d be talking about ‘one day’ or even sending pictures to each other. Then again, he had never been close with anyone from the internet before, so he shouldn’t have really thought he knew anything about how those relationships worked. 

__**Goldeneagle20: I look forward to that.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: But… if I show you mine, you’d have to show me yours ;)**_ _

Kageyama’s jaw dropped and the spoon he had been holding in his mouth fell to his lap. 

__**Goldeneagle20: Yeah… sure… one day**_ _

He groaned as he responded, wishing he was better at making conversation. Fortunately, the person he was talking to seemed to have absolutely no problem with carrying the conversation, or with his responses. 

__**vballroyalty17: So… what’d you do today?**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: I actually had a date tonight**_ _

After five minutes without a response, Tobio closed his phone. He felt a pit growing in his stomach the longer he went without getting a response. He put the half-melted ice cream away and sat at the kitchen table, head in hands, trying not to spiral into worst case scenario thoughts. Instead of panicking, he decided to distract himself and get ready for bed. 

As Kageyama crawled under his covers, he breathed a happy sigh of relief. He wrapped himself up in his blanket, turned off the lights, and grabbed his phone from his nightstand, mentally crossing his fingers that he had gotten a reply. 

__**vballroyalty17: Oh?**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: yeah… it was… weird.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: How so?**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: It was with this guy I didn’t get along with in high school. But tonight we actually hit it off**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: and… that’s a bad thing?**_ _

Kageyama gulped. He couldn’t exactly explain that the reason it didn’t turn out was because he had a crush on someone. He groaned and rolled onto his stomach. 

__**Goldeneagle20: Well… we made out in his car lol but I kind of realized I only liked him as a friend.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: … lol…**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: Yeah…**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: Was he a good kisser?**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: Yeah… but not as good as some people I’ve kissed**_ _

Kageyama felt blood rushing to his dick. The image of the best kisser he’d ever had the pleasure of kissing floated through his mind. The way Oikawa had swept his hair from his face and cupped his cheeks. His hands raking down his skin. It was a kiss that had felt like so much more than just a kiss and maybe that was why Kageyama just couldn't get it out of his head. 

__**vballroyalty17: So kiss that person again**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: I wish I could**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: Relatable. Here… something to take your mind off it**_ _

Kageyama furrowed his brow and waited. A moment later he saw an image was added to the chat. He quickly clicked on it and nearly dropped his phone onto his face as he looked at it. Abs. Sculpted, tanned, beautiful abs. Kageyama felt his cock swell in his boxers. 

__**Goldeneagle20: Holy fuck.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: Did it work?**_ _

As Tobio began to stroke his throbbing dick with one hand, he fumbled to hold the phone with his other. He squinted his eyes shut as he felt waves of pleasure coursing through his body. Even though he didn’t have feelings for Tsukishima, their make out session had left Tobio turned on. His hand rubbed over the head of his cock and he lathered the leaking precum along his shaft, moving faster as he moaned. He bit his lip in a feeble attempt to control himself as he stared at the picture. Filthy thoughts polluted his mind, consumed him. The perfectly sculpted body on the screen taunted him. He wanted to touch it, to rub his nails over what looked like velvet soft skin. He longed to slide his tongue across the washboard abs until he reached hard nipples. Nipples that were begging to be tugged on and sucked. His hand slid faster. 

__**Goldeneagle20: Yea.. you could say that…**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: ;) Good. You’re welcome**_ _

_If only he knew…_ Kageyama thought as his eyes rolled back. 

He moved his hips up and down, pushing his cock upwards against his palm. He stared at the image and let out a guttural moan, hand beating his flushed cock furiously. He had never planned on touching himself, he had just wanted to sleep, but as he looked at the picture he had been sent, he couldn’t hold back. “Fuck!” He moaned loudly as he felt heat building within him, bringing him to the edge. His entire body tensed up and he dropped his phone onto his chest, quickly moving his hand to cup himself as he released. His body shuddered and quivered as white hot cum shot into his waiting hand. Kageyama let out a deep shaky breath, back arched, in ecstasy as he moved his hand loosely up and down his throbbing cock, enjoying the aftershock rippling through his entire body. 

He slowly moved his hand off and reached to the bedside table, grabbing some tissues and wiping his hand off. Still not thinking clearly, he worked to catch his breath and when it was steady, he picked up his phone again. 

__**Goldeneagle20: Next time you have to show me more**_ _

__**Goldeneagle20: Like your FACE! I MEANT YOUR FACE.**_ _

Kageyama could have died from embarrassment and if it weren’t for the other to already be typing back, he would’ve erased his awkward messages from the chat. 

__**vballroyalty17: Heh. Sure ya did.**_ _

__**vballroyalty17: But you have to earn it. Seeing more, I mean**_ _

Kageyama groaned. As he felt sleep invading his eyelids, he rolled onto his stomach, putting his phone away. Was it just him, or were they flirting? He had only ever really flirted with Hinata, and their flirting had been more like fighting. So, he wasn’t really sure how to do it or even how to tell if someone was flirting with him. His mind began spinning out of control and he was grateful when he could no longer fight his exhaustion. As he drifted to sleep, he made a mental note to ask someone for advice as soon as he woke up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi - Sorry for the slow updates, uni has been kicking my butt! But I will get some more chapters out soon. I also don't know why some things are bold and italics and others just bold. Honestly, I am still getting used to that formatting, so sorry about that! Thank you for the support! - Em


	10. Adlers Karaoke Night

It was Saturday night and Tobio was crammed against the wall, squished like a sardine into a booth at one of his favourite restaurants. Korai and Ushijima sat beside him, with Hirugami and Romero opposite them across the table. As he struggled to reach forward for his drink, he regretted that they had not asked the server to add an extra chair at the end of the table. The only reason he was even putting up with his discomfort was because he knew that in a matter of moments he would be eating the best pork curry he ever had. 

“Yeah, well, our little Tobio has certainly been distracted lately.” Kageyama jumped out of the daze he had been in as he heard his name. Korai reached across Ushijima and ruffled Kageyama’s raven hair, chuckling as daggers shot from Tobio’s eyes. 

“Oh?” Ushijima raised his eyebrows and turned to look at him. 

“Tch. I don’t know what he’s talking about.” 

Korai rolled his eyes. “You’ve been addicted to your phone lately! I’m surprised it’s not in your hand right now!” 

_That’s because it’s the middle of the night where he lives._ Tobio thought to himself. “That’s not true.” He lied. His roommate was right. If there was even a slight chance that he could be online talking to the man with the abs of steel, he would take it. But they had said goodnight hours ago, and he wouldn’t get a chance to talk to him until he woke up. 

“So, what’s got you so addicted?” Hirugami piped in, clearly aiding Korai’s agenda to expose Tobio. 

“He’s been chatting with someone on that app you introduce him to.” Hoshiumi looked at Ushijima. Under the table, Tobio bent his leg to try to kick Korai but as Ushijima winced, he realized who he had actually hit. 

“Ouch.” Ushijima said, his deep baritone voice making him seem more angry than he really was. “So, you’re liking the app?” 

Kageyama realized he wasn’t going to get out of this conversation, let out a deep sigh. “I have met some interesting people for sure.” 

“Anyone noteworthy?” 

Korai’s face twisted into a devilish smile. “Tell them, Tobes.” 

“I hate you.” Kageyama blushed and took a sip of his drink. He was so embarrassed he wished he could just melt under the table into a puddle. 

“Well?” Ushijima raised his eyebrows, his eyes baring into Kageyama’s, begging for an answer. 

“It’s no one. He has a girlfriend anyways.” Kageyama shrugged, his face falling. 

“Who he is breaking up with!” Hoshiumi exclaimed. 

“Well, whoever it is, I hope they treat you well.” Hirugami said with a smile. 

Kageyama nodded and stared out the window. He did have to admit he had been more distracted lately, preoccupied with daydreams and visions of a stranger’s six-pack dancing through his mind. He inwardly groaned as he thought about what Hirugami had said. He desperately wished he would have the chance to be treated well. But the reality is that ab-man was a stranger who lived across the globe. They wouldn’t get the chance to meet, let alone have their relationship go any further. He would have to be content with the crumbs he received daily in their chats. He ate quietly, listening to his friends talk and laugh with one another, their voices faint in his ears as if they were miles away. As much as Tobio enjoyed the food, he couldn’t wait to go home and fall asleep. Time passed faster at night, and right now, he just wanted to pass the time until he could talk to _vballroyalty17_ again. 

“This is fun. I don’t want to go home yet.” Korai said, a slight pout across his lips as they paid their bills and got ready to go their separate ways. 

“So, let’s go somewhere else!” Hirugami said, his face beaming. 

“Where?” Ushijima said. 

Kageyama sighed. He knew that if Ushijima was on board to go somewhere else, that’s what they would end up doing. 

“Karaoke and drinks?” Hoshiumi suggested. His idea was answered with synchronous nods and words of excitement. But Korai looked beside him, noticing Kageyama’s quiet reluctance. “Tobio you can go home if you want.” He said softly, so just Tobio could hear. 

Appreciative of his roommate’s sensitivity, he shook his head before he had a chance to think about it. “I’ll come too. But not too late, right?” 

Hoshiumi nodded. “Whatever you want.” He linked his arm through Kageyama's and grinned at his roommate as they left the restaurant. 

The walk to the karaoke bar was short and before Kageyama knew it, he was sitting in a squishy red leather booth, chin resting on one hand as he watched his teammates belt out words to popular songs with embarrassing inaccuracy. A smile stretched across his face as Hoshiumi dipped the microphone he was singing into like it was an old dance partner. Tobio had managed to avoid going onto stage, but being a spectator was almost as bad as singing. If the speakers were turned up a bit louder, he was positive his ears would actually be bleeding. 

As his friends sat back down to join him, Romero hailed the waiter to their table and ordered another round of drinks. Kageyama already felt his cheeks burn with heat from the last shot he had taken, and he wasn’t sure having another was such a good idea, but before he knew it he was clinking the glass against everyone’s and smooth liquid burnt his throat as he swallowed, shuddering and quickly sipping his water to wash the taste away. 

“Are you gonna sing too?” Korai clapped a hand around his shoulders and raised his eyebrows. 

Kageyama shook his head swiftly. “It’s all you.” He laughed.

As if on cue, Hoshiumi bounded towards the stage and took the microphone in his hand again. This time doing a solo performance. Tobio was surprised when he felt his phone vibrate inside his pocket. It was a notification from the volleyball chatroom. He quickly unlocked the screen, his stomach filled with a kaleidoscope of butterflies as he waited for the app to load. 

_**vballroyalty17: What’s up?** _

Kageyama could no longer hear Hoshiumi’s squawking. He bit his lip as he typed his response. 

_**Goldeneagle20: Out with some friends rn. Why aren’t you asleep?**_

_**vballroyalty17: I was too hot and now I can’t fall back to sleep**_

_**Goldeneagle20: Aren’t you always too hot? ;)**_

Kageyama shut his phone and slammed it against the table. He should have known better than to text while he was drinking. He reached across the table, snatching a beer from Hirugami’s hand and taking a swig from it. Hirugami just chuckled and shrugged his permission before turning his attention back to his boyfriend who was in the middle of serenading the entire room with a badly executed ballad. Kageyama picked up his phone again and opened it cautiously. 

_**vballroyalty17: Yeah, it’s hot here.**_

_**Goldeneagle20: I meant because you’re hot LOL**_

Kageyama rolled his eyes at his own comment. Apparently he was at the stage of drinking where his usually catch-all filter had shut off completely. 

_**vballroyalty17: LOL? You never say that. Are you drinking? Ha.**_

_**Goldeneagle20: YOU BET!**_

_**vballroyalty17: Nice. Wish I was there too.**_

Kageyama felt his stomach flip and he smiled softly to himself, only to be interrupted by Ushijima, who had been quietly watching him for the past few minutes. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” Ushijima asked, straight-faced. 

“Tch. I wish.” Kageyama said and clasped a hand over his mouth. But the words had already escaped. It was the first time he had said it out loud. 

“He’d be lucky to have you.” Ushijima said and he placed a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. He looked down at the phone in Kageyama’s hands, the screen still alit. “Wait a second… is that who you’ve been talking with?” His eyebrows shot up and a smile tugged at his lips. 

Kageyama nodded, grinning and completely oblivious. “Why?” 

Ushijima chuckled and shook his head. “No reason, don’t worry about it.” 

And Kageyama didn’t. He turned back to the phone, eager to respond. 

_**Goldeneagle20: No you don’t. They’re singing bad karaoke.**_

_**vballroyalty17: No wayyyy! Lemme hear it**_

Without thinking twice, Kageyama started recording a voice note. Hirugami had joined his boyfriend on stage and the two of them were attempting to rap along to a song he had never heard before. It was surprisingly their least offensive performance. Still, Kageyama laughed as he recorded them. 

Then, he held the phone to his lips. “See? It’s awful. I should have brought ear plugs!” He practically yelled into the phone before sending the voice note in the chat. 

_**vballroyalty17: WOOOOOW I bet they get their own record after this**_

_**vballroyalty17: Btw, was that you talking at the end?**_

_**Goldeneagle20: UH YES. WHy?**_

_**vballroyalty17: No reason. I like your voice.**_

Kageyama smiled down at the phone but it was only alight for a moment before it shut down completely. Tobio groaned. He had been so engaged in the conversation he hadn’t noticed that it was about to die. His smile turned to a pout, but only for a moment before Korai grabbed him by the hand and pulled him on stage.


End file.
